Prophecy Outline 5
The Jew, the Gentile, and the Church of God
"Give no offence either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God." 1 Cor 10:32
Who Are the Jews, the Gentiles, and the Church of God?
- Jews (people of the nation of Israel)
- Israel ("God strives"), Jacob ("supplanter") - the twelve tribes of Israel are from the sons of Jacob (Israel)
- Judah ("praise"), Jew, Judean (both contractions of "Judah") - didn't find wide usage until after the Babylonian exile when the returning people were largely from the southern nation of Judah
- Hebrew ("one from the other side") - Gen 14:13; Ex 1:15,16,19; Php 3:5
- Gentiles (non-Israelites)
- Gentiles ("nations") - Gen 10:5,20,31,32; Ex 34:10; Lk 2:32; Rom 3:29; Gal 2:15
- Greeks - used in the NT as representative of the Gentiles (who spoke Greek) - Rom 1:16; 2:9,10
- The Church
- All believers from Pentecost to the Rapture
- Eph 3:1-13 - a mystery in times past
- Eph 2:11-22 - Jew and Gentile united in one body - Gal 3:28; Ac 15:14-17
What Distinctions Does the Bible Make?
- Jews and Gentiles
- For the outworking of God's program - not related to salvation (Rom 3:22; 10:12)
- Eliminated for those who are in the church (Eph 2:11-22)
- Israel and the church
- Definitions show the distinctions
- The church was previously a mystery and therefore could not be Israel
- Earthly/material vs. heavenly/spiritual (e.g. calling, origin, blessings, wars, destiny, worship, etc.)
- Future events
- Gentiles - Isa 11:10; Zec 14
- Israel - Rom 11:25ff; Ps 89:19ff
- Church - 1 Th 4:17ff; Rev 19
- Relationship of Christ to
- Light of the Gentiles - Isa 42:6; Ac 13:47
- King of the Jews - Mt 2:2; 27:37
- Head of the Church - Eph 5:23; Col 1:18
Why Are These Distinctions Important?
- Gospel - Are you in the church?
- Non-discrimination - Eph 2
- Reassurance - if God abandoned Israel for their disobedience, we're in serious trouble
- Interpretation of prophecy - must distinguish among prophecies made to Jews, Gentiles and the chruch
- Applying the Bible today
- Individual life - under Law, Sabbath, tongues (1 Cor 14:21 & Isa 28:11), prosperity gospel
- Church life - tithing, altars, robes, priests, rituals, buildings ("house of God")
Distinctions Between Israel and the Church
Israel is God's earthly, physical people. The church is God's heavenly, spiritual people. Some of the areas in which this distinction is demonstrated are shown in the chart below.
| distinctions.pdf |
